Blast furnace process



April 10, 1945. v F HOL I 2,373,244

' BLAST FURNACE PROCESS Filed Aug. 19, 1943 WASHER DUST Qusfi FlueDgfl CATCHER lg'llw M" 1m e Ore o Adhe sive Limestone H e Soluhoq Du 5* M M R MIXE Cheroinu Mixture FIG. I

Iron a INVENTOR.

Fran k H o I z Patented Apr. id, 1945 BLAST FURNACE PROCES Frank Hols, Cleveland, Uhio Application August 19, 1943, Serial No. 499,235

operating iron working blast furnaces. The general objects and nature of my invention is to inutilize waste products therefrom, to effect a substantlal savings in fuel, and to reduce substantially the flue dust loss which has heretofore occurred.

The problem of overcoming the loss of iron production due to that relatively large proportion of.

iron oxidewhich .is carried off by the outlet gases from a blast furnace in the form of flue dust, has always been a serious one. Where relatively flne I iron ores, such as for example in the Mesabi and Birmingham ores, the dust loss is particularly large. Flue dust averages about 10 to 40 grains per cubic foot of outlet gas and has been known to run as high as 375'pounds per ton of pig iron produced in the blast furnace operation. Flue dust contains iron oxide, lime and carbon, all being derived from the original charging materials ore, limestone and coke respectively. Obviously then the constituent ingredients of flue dust represent a substantial production loss in blast furnace operations.

Various attempts have been made in the past to recharge fine dust and its related waste product, sludge, back into the blast furnace. These prior efiorts to solve the problem have involved the sintering, nodullzing and briquetting of flue crease the iron production of such furnaces, to

lug-of the furnace. As additional charges or rounds of coke, limestone and ore are dropped in from the charging bell on the top of the blast furnace, they have the further efiect of breaking the relatively hard and set agglomerate up into lumps and pieces which are separated by tortuous passages. These tortuous passages have the additional beneficial effect of entrapping the fine particles of flue dust which arise from the balance of the charge in the blast furnace stack below the zone where my charging mixture has been added, thus substantially reducing the flue dust loss which would normally occur from the original charging materials of ore, coke and limestone.

Additional objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the description dust and sludge, and then re-charging the same into the blast furnace. Such procedures however have proven quite expensive since they involve additional equipment, heating furnaces and additional fuel.

According to the principle of my present invention, I have solved the above-indicated problem by first mixing the iron bearing fines such as flue dust, sludge, together with iron ore fines if need bawith a combustible adhesive and water, and then charging'this mixture, which is in the form of a bulk mass having the consistency of wet sand, asv part of the blast furnace burden. This moist or wet mass immediately undergoes a drying and agglomerating action as it is charged into the top oi the stacker the blast furnace. As the combustible adhesive, such as molasses, glucose,

or similar organic, sugary substance is subjected to temperatures on the order of 400 to 450 F., en-

countered in the top of the blast furnace stack,

it decomposes and generates gas bubbles within the interior of the mass of the mixture, whichin turn result in the production of channels proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexeddrawing and the following description setting forth in detail certain. means and one mode. of carrying out the invention, such disclosed means and mode illustrating, however, but one of various ways in which the principle of the invention maybeused. g I

In said annexed drawing;

Fig. 1 is a diagram, in the nature of a flow sheet, illustrating the manner of operation of my process; and Fig. 2 is a more or less diagrammatic, detailed view illustrating the manner in which the tortuou channels or passages are formed in the body of my flue dust and sludge charging composition. v

Nowreferring more particularly to Fig. 1, of the drawingthere is shown therein a diagrammatic representation of an iron work blast furnace. As

is well known to those skilled in the art, the op eration of such a furnace involves essentiallyv a charging ofcoke, iron ore and limestone in through the charging bell on the top of the stack of the furnace, and the blowing of air, pre-heated to a temperature of 12550-1800 F. in through the tuyeres located substantially at the juncture of the hearth and ,bosh oi the furnace. The air is forced through the furnace at a working pressure of 12 to 18 pounds p. s. Land the gases of combustion, containingthe entrained flue dustare lead from the top of the stack to an extraction systemcomprising the dust catcher and washer.

Representative temperatures ofthe charge or burden within the blast furnace are shown in Fig. l and at substantially the heights therein where such temperatures occur. As the air blast passes up through the layers of limestone, ore and coke, it not only entrains the relatively fine particles thereof which are produced by mechanical abrasion and contact, but also the fine particles which are produced as a, result of the chemical reduction and smelting actions taking place in I the furnace. Such flne particles, generally termed flue dust in the art, have a relatively high content of ingredients valuable to the iron smelting process. For example J. L. Bray -Ferrous Production Metallurgy (1942) gives a typical analysis of flue dust as follows: Fe 21-45%, CaO 7 to 13%, carbon 10 to The flue dust must be removed from the furnace outlet gase in order to utilize the latter, such as in the blast furnace ing and breaking up into lumps of the latter takes I place.

stoves and for collateral combustion purposes. If

it were attempted to recharge the flue dust and sludge as such into-the blast furnace, not only is a combustible, organic sugary substance such as molasses. Silicate of soda (NazSiOa9l-I2O) of specific gravity approximately 12 pounds per galion is also preferably incorporated as an adhesive, since it imparts an initial binding and sustaining action to the charging mixture which is maintained during the thermal decomposition of the molasses or organic adhesive.

The range of the ingredients of my charging mixture is as follows: a

weight Molasses l2'pounds to 3-4 gallons of water Silicate of soda (Na2SiO3.9I-I2O) 12 pounds to 3-4 gallons of water Total water 1 to 20 parts by weight dry basis of flue dust etc.

. The adhesive solution is mixed separatelyand Flue dust, sludge, iron ore' flnes 100 parts by 40 As will be seen from Fig. 2, the body of charging mixture I is shown interposed between the zones or layers of other charging material such as the limestone pieces 2 and the ore lumps 3. The body of charging mixture l, is thus broken up to form the tortuous channels 4 through which the air blast passes containing entrained flue dust from the ore, coke and limestone burden lower down in the furnace. These flue dust particles,

as denoted by the smalldots in the channels or passages 4, become entrapped and retained therein, so that as the charging mixture l works further down into the smelting zone of the furnace, such entrapped flue dust is available for metallurgical production, along with the originally charged flue dust, sludge and ore fines contained in the charging mixture proper.

The process of my invention thus reduces the amount of flue dust which would otherwise-be produced from the customary charging components of blast furnace operation. In addition it results in a substantial increase in the pig iron product of the furnace, as well as a decrease in the fuel consumption thereof.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards thev means and the steps herein disclosed, provided those stated by any of the following claims or their equivalent be employed.

then added in the mixer with the flue dust, sludge and ore fines. The percentage of adhesive solution added varies with the amount of moisture and character of the flue dust, sludge and ore fines. Where the latter ingredients are of a sandy character and hence not sticky," a larger proportion of adhesive solution and water, approaching the upper limit of 20% is added. 0n the other hand, where the flue dust, sludge and ore fines are of a clay or sticky nature, a lesser amount of adhesive solution in water is added. The important criterion is that the resultant mixture shall be of the consistency of wet sand and its external adhesive properties shall be such that the mixture will not adhere to the surface of the charging bell of the blast furnace.

As the charging mixture is deposited on the top of the last round of coke, ore'and limestone at the stock line of the blast furnace stack, it immediately undergoes a'drying and setting action. As

- mately 400 F. As the charging mixture then begins to dry and set, the organic adhesive, or m0- lasses, decomposes, tending to form gas bubbles within the interior of the mixture. The air blast I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. In the process of smelting iron ina blast furnace, the improvement which consists in charging thereto a bulkmixture of iron-bearing material of fine particle size, a sugary substance, silicate of soda and Water, said mixture being of ,the consistency of wet sand and having an ad- Y in consistency of wet'sand and ncn-adherent to the blast furnace charging hell.

3. -In the process of smelting iron in a blast furnace, the improvement which consists in charging thereto a bulk mixture of iron-bearing material selected from the group consisting of flue dust, sludge and iron ore fines, together with a water solution of molasses and silicate of soda,

the latter two ingredients each being present in the amount of 12 pounds t'o'3-4 gallons of water,

and the total water content of the mixture being in the rangepf l-20% by weight on the dry basis of th iron-bearing material present.

4. In iron working blast furnace process com- 2,873,244 prising the steps of separating flue dust and sludge from the stack outlet gas, mixing said flue dust and sludge with water solution of molasses and silicate of soda to the consistency of wet sand, and then directly charging the resultant mixture as part of the blast furnace burden;

5. In iron working blast furnace process comprising the steps of separating flue dust and sludge flue dust and sludge from the stack outlet gas,

, adding iron ore fines to said flue dust and sludge,

from the stack outlet gas, adding iron ore fines to said flue dust and sludge, mixing therewith a water solution of molasses and silicate of soda to the consistency of wet sand, and then directly f charging the resultant mixture as part of the blast round, permitting'such mixture to become dried and set, and then droppingan additional charging round on such'dried and set mixture whereby the latter is'broken into lumps.

7. An iron working blast furnace process com prising the steps of charging a round of coke, iron core and limestone to the furnace, separating mixing therewith a water solution of molasses and silicate of soda to the consistency of wet sand,

directly adding the resultant mixture on top of such previously charged round, permitting such mixture to become dried and set, and then dropping an additional charging round on such dried and set mixture whereby the latter is broken into lumps. '8. An iron working blast, furnace charging composition comprising iron-bearing material selected from the group consisting of flue dust, sludge and iron or fines, together with a water solution of equal parts by weight of molasses and silicateof soda, the resultant product being unmolded and having the consistency of wet sand. I

9. An iron working blast furnace charging composition comprising iron-bearing material selected from the group consisting of flue dust,

sludge and iron ore fines, together with a water solution of molasses and silicate of soda, said molasses and silicate of soda being present in the amount of 12 pounds to 3-4 gallons of water of said solution, and the total water content of said composition being in the range of 1-20% by v weight on the dry basis of iron-bearing material present. as an unmolded product. FRANK HOLZ. 

